Featured Research

Participants who received care through a Violence Intervention Advocacy Program -- an interventional program targeting the physical, mental, emotional and social needs of violently injured youths -- were less likely to retaliate for their injuries and experienced life changing behaviors through connections to caring, steady, supportive adults who helped them feel trust and hope, researchers report.

Share This

Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and Boston Medical Center (BMC) have found that participants who received care through BMC's Violence Intervention Advocacy Program (VIAP)--an interventional program targeting the physical, mental, emotional and social needs of violently injured youths -- were less likely to retaliate for their injuries and experienced life changing behaviors through connections to caring, steady, supportive adults who helped them feel trust and hope. These findings are reported in the journal Academic Emergency Medicine.

Related Articles

Violence, particularly among persons younger than 24 years of age, is on the rise in the U.S. and is a public health problem. In 2011, emergency departments treated 707,212 patients aged 12-24 for violent injuries, compared to 668,133 in 2007. Most urban violence occurs in poor communities and young, African-American males are disproportionately affected. Up to 40 percent of injured African American youth who are less than 24 years old and hospitalized sustain subsequent injuries. One half of which return as victims of homicide.

In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 VIAP clients who were mostly male, African American and younger than 30, reflecting the typical VIAP clientele. Education level ranged from having some high school or GED to having some higher education. Most participants reported they had not suffered a prior violent injury before enrolling in VIAP. The interview consisted of open-ended questions structured around the following areas: life pre- and post-injury, hospital experience, VIAP experience, retaliation, and general questions relating to family/friend dynamics, accomplishments in life and goals. All interviews were coded, analyzed and the findings were organized into three main domains: challenges to physical and emotional healing, client experience with VIAP and effectiveness of VIAP.

The researchers identified the major challenges to physical and emotional healing were fear and safety, isolation as a coping mechanism, lack of trust, bitterness and symptoms of PTSD (intense fear, hypervigilance, estrangement from others, emotional detachment). Fears of going out of the house or being seen on the bus were limiting factors to moving forward. Participants felt unsociable and withdrawn, isolating themselves from friends and family. They described feeling unsafe anywhere in Boston.

Half of participants expressed feelings of distrust or apathy towards their violence intervention advocate (VIA) at first contact. As the relationship progressed, these participants described how their attitude towards their VIA changed. Many described feeling comfortable with their VIA after seeing how they genuinely cared. The other half trusted their VIA immediately. Eight described longer-term relationships that went beyond physical recovery. Almost all participants described comfort talking to their VIA while characterizing how the relationships evolved over time. Six mentioned aspects of "listening" or "understanding" in concurrence to describing the relationship progression.

Participants recounted a number of ways VIAs supported them post-injury including counseling and support, help with education, employment, and life skills. "Counseling and support was the most commonly cited service in our study," explained lead author Thea James, MD, founder and director of BMC's VIAP and an emergency room physician at BMC. "According to most participants, VIAs played a crucial role and filled a gap that is often missing from other service providers; connection to a caring and understanding adult that went beyond the scope of physical recovery from injury," added James an associate professor of emergency medicine at BUSM.

Half of participants expressed feelings of retaliation initially, but almost all chose not to retaliate since participating in VIAP for a variety of reasons including: faith in God, not wanting to hurt family, deciding it's not worth it, feeling grateful to be alive and talking to their VIA. According to James, talking to a caring adult who could relate was an overarching theme throughout the interviews. Improved confidence and desire to follow and accomplish goals were also commonly expressed among participants.

According to the researchers this study aimed to explore clients' experiences and provide a basis for understanding their perceptions of the effectiveness of VIAP. "Specifically, we sought to identify and contextualize VIAP's activities and the clients' unique life circumstances. Our findings suggest that our clients perceive the program as positive and effective. We have gained valuable information on their perceptions of the effectiveness of this emergency department (ED)-based violence intervention program that will help our VIAs to further support clients," said James. However, she believes future research is needed to identify best practices for ED-based violence intervention programs, like VIAP, and measure community wide efficacy in different settings.

More From ScienceDaily

More Health & Medicine News

Featured Research

Mar. 3, 2015 — Adults over the age of 30 only catch flu about twice a decade, a new study suggests. So, while it may feel like more, flu-like illness can be caused by many pathogens, making it difficult to assess ... full story

Mar. 3, 2015 — No significant change in home habits of smokers have been observed in the aftermath of a ban on smoking in public spaces, researchers report. Greater inspiration to kick the habit likely comes from ... full story

Mar. 3, 2015 — Heart function has been associated with the development of dementia and Alzheimer's disease through a new study. Participants with decreased heart function, measured by cardiac index, were two to ... full story

Mar. 3, 2015 — Children of recently separated or divorced families are likelier to drink sugar-sweetened beverages than children in families where the parents are married, putting them at higher risk for obesity ... full story

Mar. 3, 2015 — Gastric bypass and similar stomach-shrinking surgeries are a popular option for obese patients looking to lose weight or treat type 2 diabetes. While the surgeries have been linked to a decreased ... full story

Mar. 3, 2015 — Most people consume more salt than they need and therefore have a higher risk of heart disease and stroke, which are the two leading causes of death worldwide. But a new study reveals that dietary ... full story

Mar. 3, 2015 — Twice as many children born to mothers who took antibiotics during pregnancy were diagnosed with asthma by age 3 than children born to mothers who didn’t take prenatal antibiotics, a new study has ... full story

Mar. 3, 2015 — Pediatric otolaryngologists and surgeons are concerned with parents getting the wrong message regarding the safety/desirability of letting babies and young children eat peanuts to prevent them from ... full story

Featured Videos

Mom Triumphs Over Tragedy, Helps Other Families

AP (Mar. 3, 2015) — After her son, Dax, died from a rare form of leukemia, Julie Locke decided to give back to the doctors at St. Jude Children&apos;s Research Hospital who tried to save his life. She raised $1.6M to help other patients and their families. (March 3)
Video provided by AP

Looted and Leaking, South Sudan's Oil Wells Pose Health Risk

AFP (Mar. 3, 2015) — Thick black puddles and a looted, leaking ruin are all that remain of the Thar Jath oil treatment facility, once a crucial part of South Sudan&apos;s mainstay industry. Duration: 01:13
Video provided by AFP

Woman Convicted of Poisoning Son

AP (Mar. 3, 2015) — A woman who blogged for years about her son&apos;s constant health woes was convicted Monday of poisoning him to death by force-feeding heavy concentrations of sodium through his stomach tube. (March 3)
Video provided by AP

Related Stories

Jan. 26, 2015 — In the first systematic look at the economic outcomes of hospital-based violence intervention, researchers demonstrate that, in addition to transforming victims' lives, these programs may indeed ... full story

Feb. 4, 2014 — People seriously injured by violence are no more likely to die in the years after they are shot, stabbed or beaten than those who are seriously injured in accidents, researchers have ... full story

July 27, 2010 — Intimate partner violence results in two million injuries among women in the US each year, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Researchers are reducing these numbers with a ... full story

ScienceDaily features breaking news and videos about the latest discoveries in health, technology, the environment, and more -- from major news services and leading universities, scientific journals, and research organizations.